In the fluid conveyance art, there is a need for connectors which connect a pair of flexible or non-flexible fluid-conveying conduits together and which connect a flexible conduit to a rigid pipe or pipe-shaped member. For example, to vent exhaust air from a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer is usually installed with a flexible conduit extending between a rigid vent or exhaust pipe member on the dryer and a rigid vent sleeve mounted in an exterior wall of a building in order to provide a passage for the exhaust air from the dryer to the exterior of the building. Depending on the distance between the dryer vent and the wall-mounted vent sleeve, it may be necessary to use multiple conduits and connect the conduits together.
A variety of connectors which function to fulfill this need are known in the art. FIG. 1 shows one type of connector 100 which is used to connect a flexible exhaust conduit 102 for a dryer 104 to the dryer vent member 106. The connector 100 is rigid and may be made of PVC (polyvinylchloride) or other suitable material and is forcibly mounted (i.e., press fitted) to the dryer vent member 106. To install the connector 100 to the dryer vent member 106, the conduit 102 must be held straight to enable the screw-on attachment of the connector 100 to the conduit 102.
Also shown in FIG. 1 as well as in FIG. 2 is a known connector 108 for connecting a pair of exhaust conduits 102, 110 together. The exhaust conduit 110 is connected at one end to the connector 108 and at the opposite end to a vent sleeve 112 associated with an outside wall vent 114 and a flap valve 116. The connection of the exhaust conduit 110 to the vent sleeve 112 may be made by a clamp 118.
The connector 108 is a rigid tubular member and may be made of PVC. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner surface of the connector 108 is provided with thread members 120 which engage with the helical metal reinforcement members 122 of the exhaust conduits 102, 110 to thereby secure the exhaust conduits 102, 110 to the connector 108. Accordingly, a twisting action is required in order to connect each of the exhaust conduits 102, 110 to the connector 108.
A problem with this type of connector 108 arises when the exhaust conduit 102 is connected first to the dryer vent member 106 and then to the connector 108 and the exhaust conduit 110 is connected first to the vent sleeve 112 and then to the connector 108. Specifically, since the connector 108 and exhaust conduits 102, 110 must be twisted relative to one another in order to engage the connector 108 with the exhaust conduits 102, 110, kinking of one or both of the exhaust conduits 102, 110 may occur since the ends of the exhaust conduits 102, 110 opposite to the connector 108 are fixed. Also, the twisting engagement of the conduits 102, 110 to the connector 108 is difficult to accomplish.
Another type of connector consists of a circular clamp adapted to attach a flexible exhaust conduit to an exhaust pipe of a dryer, and can also be used to attach a large-diameter end of a flexible exhaust conduit to a smaller-diameter end of another flexible conduit. The circular clamp consists of a narrow metal band which fits around the exhaust conduit and is tightened by turning a machine screw with a screwdriver. Another type is a circular spring clamp which fits over the conduit. The clamps are used to clamp the exhaust conduit directly to the exhaust pipe.
These types of clamps are difficult to use because dryers are often installed with minimal working space around the exhaust pipe. Typically, the metallic exhaust pipe at the rear of a dryer terminates substantially flush with the back of the dryer, and the dryer back has a shallow circular depression around the exhaust pipe. In order to use one of these known clamps, the clamp must first be placed over the conduit and then the conduit must be placed over the end of the exhaust pipe. The exhaust conduit fits over the pipe and, because there is little working room, it is hard to slide the conduit onto the pipe to allow secure clamping. Furthermore, after the conduit is on the pipe, a clamp must be moved into place and when present, the machine screw must be tightened. However, a screwdriver cannot be aligned with the machine screw, because the clamp must be inside the plane of the dryer back in order to clamp the conduit on the pipe. Thus, the screwdriver must be held off line to tighten the screw while holding the conduit and clamp on the pipe. This installation procedure is awkward and frequently results in an insecure clamping which can lead to the conduit slipping off of the exhaust pipe later when the dryer is vibrating during an operating cycle.
Installation of the known spring clamp entails gripping the clamp with pliers to hold it open while it is being moved into position so as to clamp the conduit on the exhaust pipe. This is also a difficult feat which produces the same disadvantageous results as the first type of clamp described.
Another connector device for coupling an exhaust conduit to an exhaust pipe of a dryer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,318 to Dawson. Dawson describes a quick-connect device which includes a tubular member having a female end portion with magnetic material to magnetically couple to the exhaust pipe of the dryer and a male end portion which threadingly engages with the exhaust conduit. Dawson does not disclose a connector for connecting a pair of exhaust conduits together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,197 to Kaminski et al. describes a connector which may be used to connect two flexible conduits together. The connector includes two semi-cylindrical portions, with an integral hinge and locking structure so that when locked together, a cylindrical member is formed. The inner surface of the cylindrical member is corrugated to correspond to corrugations on the flexible conduits to prevent the conduits from being released from the connector once the semi-cylindrical members are locked to one another.